Fishing is locked behind a short encounter with the angler Chu Shuiyang in Qinghe.
| Step | What to do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Reach Qinghe | Travel to the Qinghe region and head to the water just north of the Stonewash Strand fast travel point. | Access to angler Chu Shuiyang |
| 2. Find Chu Shuiyang | Look for an NPC by the shore with a floating fisherman icon above their head. | Dialogue option to start fishing |
| 3. Ask for a rod | Talk to Chu Shuiyang and select the “Want a Fishing Rod” dialogue choice. | Kid’s Fishing Rod, 30× Dough Bait, 30× Worm Bait, 30× Plant Bait |
| 4. Start the tutorial contest | Speak with Chu Shuiyang again and accept the fishing competition. | Hands-on tutorial for the fishing minigame |
How fishing works (core loop)
Every fishing attempt in Where Winds Meet follows the same basic loop:
| Phase | What happens | Your goal |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | You stand in water deep enough for fishing (usually around knee height). | Move into suitable water so the Fishing Rod icon becomes selectable. |
| Preparation | You equip a fishing rod and choose bait. | Match rod and bait quality to the fish or contest objective. |
| Casting | You throw the line using a hold-and-release cast gauge. | Release near the top of the gauge to land the hook at a good distance. |
| Attracting | You “shake” the rod to draw in nearby fish. | Trigger a bite as quickly as possible. |
| Struggle | A fish icon appears with a green bar at the top of the screen. | Keep the fish inside the green zone until the circular progress fills. |
| Reeling | Once the progress circle fills, you confirm to reel the fish in. | Secure the catch and, in contests, beat your opponent’s total. |
Fishing contests use this exact loop but add objectives, timers, and an AI opponent.
How to equip and use the fishing rod (keyboard and mouse)
On PC, fishing is tied to the Bag and Quick Use systems rather than a dedicated key, which is why it feels hidden. The flow looks like this:
| Step | Keyboard / mouse input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Open bag | Press B |
Opens the Bag menu. |
| Go to Quick Use | Click the “Quick Use” tab | Shows consumables and special items usable from the HUD. |
| Equip rod | Select the Kid’s Fishing Rod and place it in the Special Item slot | Makes the rod available on the Special Item wheel. |
| Open Special Items | Hold Alt |
Opens the Special Item selection overlay in the bottom-right of the screen. |
| Select rod | Click Left / Right Mouse to cycle until the rod is highlighted | Equips the fishing rod as the active special item. |
| Start fishing | While standing in valid water, press X |
Starts the fishing minigame with your equipped rod and bait. |
Once the minigame starts on keyboard and mouse:
- Cast: Hold Left-Click to charge the cast, release near the top of the bar.
- Shake: Press
Spaceto shake the rod and attract fish. - Struggle: Move the mouse left and right, steering against the fish’s movement to keep its icon in the green zone at the top.
- Reel: When the white circle around the fish portrait fills, press
Spaceagain to reel it in.
How to equip and use the fishing rod (controller)
On consoles and when using a controller, fishing uses the D-Pad and face buttons instead of modifier keys.
| Step | Controller input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Open bag | Press the Start / Options button, choose Bag | Opens your inventory. |
| Go to Quick Use | Use L1 / L2 / R1 / R2 to move to the “Quick Use” tab | Shows Quick Use and Special Item slots. |
| Equip rod | Assign the Kid’s Fishing Rod to the Special Item slot | Rod is now on the Special Item cycle. |
| Select rod | Press Left / Right on the D-Pad | Cycles through Special Items until the Fishing Rod is selected. |
| Start fishing | While in valid water, press Up on the D-Pad | Starts the fishing minigame. |
Once you’re in the minigame on a controller:
- Cast: Hold
Square(PlayStation) to charge, release near the top of the gauge. - Shake: Press
Xto shake the rod. - Struggle: Use the Left Stick to keep the fish icon inside the green bar.
- Reel: When the white ring fills, press
Xto reel the fish in.
For free-roam fishing (outside contests), the controls are the same; the only difference is that you don’t see a score or opponent.
How to change bait and why it matters
Fish in Where Winds Meet are tied to favorite baits, and contests often specify which fish you need. Using the wrong bait wastes time, especially in timed events.
| Action | Keyboard / mouse | Controller | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open bait selection | Hold Alt |
Hold L2 |
Shows available bait types in the bottom of the screen. |
| Cycle bait | Scroll the Mouse Wheel | Press Triangle |
Cycles through Dough, Worm, Plant bait and any others you own. |
| Confirm bait | Release Alt |
Release L2 |
Selected bait becomes active for the next cast. |
During contests, the UI usually calls out the target fish and its “favorite food.” Always switch to that bait before casting. If you ignore this and hook a different fish, the catch typically doesn’t advance the contest objective.
Finding fishing spots in Where Winds Meet
Fishing isn’t limited to a few fixed nodes. Most lakes, rivers, and coastal waters in Where Winds Meet support casting as long as the water isn’t too shallow.
- Depth requirement: The game usually checks if the character is in roughly knee-deep water. When that condition is met, the Fishing Rod icon in the Special Items menu turns selectable.
- HUD cue: If the icon is grayed out, walk a little deeper or along the shore until it lights up.
- Shallow exclusion: Puddles, very thin streams, and water that barely covers your feet generally cannot be used for fishing.
You can also track specific fish through the map:
- Open the map screen.
- Switch the icon filter to the Herb icon.
- Move to the Species tab and choose Fish.
- Toggle the fish name you need to mark its known locations, as long as those areas have already been explored.
Fishing contests and anglers on the map
Fishing contests are scattered across Jianghu and are started by speaking to anglers marked with a special fishing icon above their heads.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Contest NPC icon | Floating fisherman or rod icon above specific NPCs. |
| Qinghe tutorial contest | Started with Chu Shuiyang near Stonewash Strand; doubles as the first fishing lesson. |
| Other coastal anglers | Found along shores and piers, including early-game areas such as the regions near Heaven’s Pier and Harvest Fall Village. |
| Difficulty | Varies by contest; later anglers expect stronger rods and higher-quality bait. |
| Objective types | Catch a set number of a specific fish, hit a score target, or simply outpace the AI opponent. |
Contests are a reliable way to practice the struggle phase under pressure and to earn rewards tied to fishing performance. They also tend to highlight how strict the bait matching can be—if the UI says “favorite food: Worm Bait,” changing bait is non-negotiable.
Where to buy better rods and more bait
Beyond the starter set from Chu Shuiyang, several merchants sell bait and an upgraded rod.
| Vendor | Location | What they sell | When you can reach them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiong Da | Heaven’s Pier (starting area) | Multiple bait types and the Little Toad’s Rod (an upgrade over the Kid’s Fishing Rod) | Within the opening hours of the game, once you reach Heaven’s Pier |
| Hu Niu’er’s General Goods | Kaifeng region | Bait | After you advance the story far enough to access Kaifeng |
| Yu Dalang’s Goldfish | Kaifeng region | Bait and fish-related items | Also requires progress into Kaifeng |
The Little Toad’s Rod from Xiong Da is the first meaningful rod upgrade and is easy to miss if you don’t comb Heaven’s Pier thoroughly. It’s worth picking up early if you plan to engage with contests or farm fish for materials and side activities.
Common issues and small fixes
A few small quirks can make fishing feel bugged when it isn’t:
- Rod not recognized for contests: If a contest still claims you have no rod even after getting the Kid’s Fishing Rod, leaving the area and returning often forces the game to re-check your inventory.
- Fishing icon grayed out: Move slightly deeper into the water; ankle-deep is often too shallow.
- No bites: Shake the rod more frequently and verify your bait type matches what the UI labels as the favorite food for the fish you’re targeting.
Once the controls and menu paths click, fishing in Where Winds Meet shifts from opaque to routine: equip the rod through Quick Use, watch the water depth, and let bait choice do most of the heavy lifting.
